Fabric handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A machine for converting a length of tubular fabric into an unfolded web of fabric including gumming, drying, slitting and opening the tubular fabric where the heat used in drying a gummed portion of the fabric is applied simultaneously along both the inside and outside surfaces of the gummed portion without the use of an internal spreader.

[ NOV. 28, 1972 United States Patent Haft [54] FABRIC HANDLING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Peter Haft, Brooklyn, NY.

[73] Assignee: Knitting Specialty Machinery Corp.,

3,196,723 Cohn et a1.

Glendale, N.Y.

Dec. 16, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 98,776

3,289,510 12/1966 Carteretal..............83/175X [22] Filed:

Primary ExaminerDouglas J. Drummond At t0meyLeo C. Krazinski ABSTRACT A machine for converting a length of tubular fabric into an unfolded web of fabric including gumming, drying, slitting and opening the tubular fabric where [52] US. Cl. ........................118/32,118/38,118/63, 118/249, 156/88, 156/510 [51] Int. 11/00, DO3d 47/50 156/510, 525, 526, 538, 259,

[58] Field of Search......

the heat used in drying a gummed portion of the fabric 105, 106, 123, 68, 249, 250, 239; 83/407, is applied simultaneously along both the inside and 170, 78, 109, 155, 469, 175, 187 outside surfaces of the gummed portion without the use of an internal spreader.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,323,212 Bulley.................. ...ll7/4 PATENTEDNHY sum 1 or 5 INVENTOR PETER HAFT BY I 6. 1M ATTORNEY PATENTED 28 I97? 3. 703, 8 82 sum 2 UF 5 INVENTOR PETER HAFT .843 i- ATTORNE ffi PATENTED NOV 2 8 I972 SHEET 3 [IF 5 T. mm mH W ll- B Q mac Y T aw aw w R Q 8 5w Pm h m i w. a a: 1 No Nu. MW 2v ww (Fil. .l. 5 8 t U F T W I an v 2Q g 8 ATTORNEY PATENTED NOV 28 m2 SHEET l 0F 5 INVENTOR PETER HAFT ATTORN PATENTEDnnvzs m2 SHEET 5 OF 5 INVENTOR PETER HQFT ATTORNEY I FABRIC HANDLING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to fabric handling apparatus and, more particularly, to a machine for converting a tubular fabric into a web of fabric, including means for advancing a length of tubular fabric without tension being applied thereto, means for separating said fabric into web portions without use of a spreader, means for gumming a lineal portion of the fabric, means disposed inside and outside the fabric for heating and drying the gummed portion, means for cutting said fabric midway along the gummed portion, and means for receiving the unfolded web of fabric.

Heretofore, in converting tubular fabric to a single web of fabric it has been customary to use spreaders which flatten the fabric along the lineal length engaged by the spreader and thereby distort the fabric. Furthermore, spreaders produce tension in the fabric with resultant distortion. Also, it has been conventional heretofore to apply drying heat to only the outer side of the gummed fabric, which slows down the rate of lineal travel of the fabric.

2. Summary of the Invention Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the type indicated herein which overcomes the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a machine which heat dries both sides of the gummed portion of the fabric to thereby speed-up linear travel of the fabric.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a machine which allows the fabric to travel therethrough under substantially tensionless conditions.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a machine which converts the tubular fabric to a single web of fabric without formation of pressure marks caused by spreader bars.

A further object of the invention is to accomplish the foregoing in a simple, practical and economical manner.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, in schematic form, of a machine in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the right end portion of FIG. 1 showing the fabric feeding mechanism in greater detail.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6 to 9 are enlarged sectional views taken along lines 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 on FIG. 1 showing schematically different stages of conversion of the tubular fabric to an unfolded, single web state.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, particularly to FIGS. 1--4, there is shown a supply roll S of tubular fabric F which passes between nip rollers 10 and 11, after which the tubular fabric F is separated into an upper web portion F1 and a lower web portion F2, web portion F1 passing over idler roller 12 and web portion F2 passing under idler roller 13, whereby a space 14 is provided between the web portions F1 and F2 for disposition therein of apparatus including ducts 15 and 16 connected to a hot air blower 17. Therollers l2, l3 and ducts 15, 16 are supported within the space 14 upon a frame work 18 (FIG. 3) which, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, extends from the rollers 12, 13"to the left between the web portions F1 and F2 to a framework 19 secured to a base 21 of the machine 22. The upper web portion Fl of fabric passes over and is carried by spaced upper conveyor belts 23 which run around space driven rollers 24 and drive rollers 26; while the lower web portion F2 of fabric passes over and is carried by spaced lower conveyor belts 27, which run around spaced driven rollers 28 and 29. As seen more clearly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, spaced chains 31 having pins 32 thereon are run parallel with the lower conveyor belts 27 around spaced sprockets 33, idlers 34, 36 and sprockets 37.

Depending from framework 18 (FIG. 3) is shown a pair of arms 38 (FIG. 4) at the lower ends of which is journalled a roller 39 which is in engagement with the lower web portion F2 which also rides on a roller 41 that is directly opposite roller 39. The framework 18 also supports a pair of pivotally mounted arms 42 at the lower ends of which are carried circular brushes 43 for impinging the lower web portion F2 onto the pins 32 of the chain 31. The framework 18 further has depending from it, to the left of brushes 43 (FIG. 3), a pair of arms 44 between which is loosely carried a roller 46 for coaction with a doctor roller 47 which is immersed and rotates in a reservoir 48 carrying an adhesive or gum 49 to be applied to the underside of the lower web portion F2 of the fabric. It will be noted that the doctor roller, conveyor belts, fabric and chains are all driven at the same speed to insure that the fabric travel is tensionless, the pins 32 of the chains 31 in engagement with the web portion F2 also insuring that lateral displacement of the web portion F2 is avoided during its travel. It also is to be noted that, as seen in FIG. 4, only a mid portion of the underside of the web portion F2, that is, that portion between rollers 39 and 41, is gummed.

Still referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the gummed web portion F2, as it passes to the left of the doctor roller 47, is heated preferably by hot air impinging simultaneously on both the upper and lower surfaces of the web portion F2, so as to dry the gummed portion of the web portion F2 more expeditiously. This gum drying operation is shown more clearly in FIG. 5, where the inner duct 15 has a heat discharge opening 51 for directing the heated air 52 against the gummed portion 53, which air 52 is then deflected by the web portion F2 and withdrawn via an exhaust opening 54 in the duct 16 to the blower 17. Similarly against the underside of the web portion F2 is directed heated air 56 from a discharge opening 57 of an inner duct 58 against the gummed portion 53 which air 56 is deflected by the web portion F2 and withdrawn via an exhaust opening 59 in an outer duct 61 to the blower 17. The outer duct 61 is suitably supported upon the framework 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower web portion F2 is carried by the conveyor belts 27 to the slitting station where a driven rotary knife 62 severs the tubular fabric, preferably midway along the gummed, and now set, portion of the lower web portion F2, whereby the severed edge portions thereof fall downwardly from the upper conveyor belts 23, unfold upon an inclined platform 63 and slide down the platform to form a flat fabric F3 which is taken up and rewound upon a takeuproll T. Because of the gummed edges the flat fabric F3 is substantially impervious to ravelling of its threads. Also, the arrangement is such that the fabric is under substantially no tension while travelling down the platform 63.

Although not shown herein, it will be understood that the rotating elements, conveyor belts, chains, supply and takeup rolls, etc. are driven in synchronism, so that the fabric is fed into the machine 22 at exactly the same rate from the supply roll S as it is taken up on the roll T; also that these elements are supported and structurally interconnected by the framework 19.

FIGS. 6,7,8 and 9 schematically bring out the essential elements of the invention herein, namely, the gumming of a lineal portion of the fabric, rapidly drying both the inner and outer surfaces of the gummed portion by heaters on both sides of the fabric, slitting the fabric, and unfolding the fabric into a flat web, all with substantially no tension during movement of the fabric from the supply roll to the take-up roll. In FIG. 6 it is seen that the web portion F2 has the gum 49 (gummed portion 53) on both sides thereof, since the gum penetrates through the threads of the fabric to the inner surface; in FIG. 7 one heater (15,16) within the tubular fabric and another heater (58,61) outside the fabric for drying both sides of the gummed portion; in FIG. 8 the gummed portion is cut by rotating knife 62; and in FIG. 9 the fabric F3 is shown flat and unfolded upon a plat- 7 form 63.

The operation of the machine is initiated by threading a free end of the tubular fabric through the nip rolls 10, 11 to provide sufficient slack thereof, then manually separating the fabric into an upper web portion F1 and lower web portion F2, placing the upper web portion Fl over upper roller 12 and thence onto upper conveyor belt 23, placing the lower web portion F2 under the lower roller 13 and thence onto lower conveyor belt 27, after which the lower web portion F2 is aligned by attaching the same to the pins 32 of the chains 31. (It might be explained that the pins 32 are used particularly for keeping the gummed portion 53 in alignment with the slitting knife 62 so as to assure severance of the web portion F2 along the center line of the gummed portion The machine is then started and movement of the fabric is then automatic in accordance with the invention, as described hereinbefore.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved machine for converting tubular fabric into a web of fabric, wherein by the elimination of a spreader, pressure points in the fabric are eliminated and tension in the fabric is avoided; there is no distortion in the fabric because the speed of the fabric and conveyor means are identical; there is no transverse movement of the' fabric because of the pins holding the fabric in place alongside the gummed portion; and by drying the gummed portion from both sides permits of a shorter drying section and consequently increases the speed of production substantially. I

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matters are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

I. A machine for converting a tubular fabric intoa single web of fabric comprising, in combination, means for advancing said tubular fabric, means for separating said tubular fabric into an upper web portion and a lower web portion to provide a space between said web portions, conveyor-means for carrying each of said web portions, means for applying an adhesive to a lineal portion of said lower web portion, means portions, both sides of said lower web portion for drying said adhesive portion, means for slitting said lower web portion along said adhesive portion, and means for unfolding said slitted fabric to form a flat web thereof.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said advancing means include a pair of opposed rotating rollers forming a nip therebetween with said fabric in said nip and advanced thereby.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 2, in which said separating means include a pair of spaced upper and lower rollers in which said upper web portion travels over said upper roller and said lower web portion travels under said lower roller.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 3, in which said conveyor means includes an upper conveyor for supporting said upper portion web and a lower conveyor for supporting said lower web portion and .in which said upper conveyor includes spaced rotating rollers and spaced continuous belts, said spaced rotating rollers and a large portion of said belts being disposed within said space.

5. A machine in accordance with claim 4, in which said conveyor means further includes a plurality of sprockets carrying a pair of spaced, continuous chains and in which said chains include upright pins-upon which said lower web portion is impinged.

6. A machine in accordance with claimS, in which a rotating brush is adapted to press said lower web portion onto said pins.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 6, in which said adhesive applying means includes a doctor roller for applying adhesive to the underside of said lower web portion and a loosely mounted roller mounted within said space for pressing the upperside of said lower web portion against the doctor roller.

8. A machine in accordance with claim 7, in which the adhesive drying means includes an DPP" duct system mounted within said space above said lower web portion and a lower duct system mounted below said lower web portion and in which both of said duct systems are adapted to discharge heated air against both sides of said adhesive portion.

ing a base for said machine, a first framework mounted upon said base, a second framework extending from said first framework into said space between said upper and lower web portions for carrying said separating rollers, said upper conveyor rollers, said rotating brush, said loosely mounted roller, and said upper heating duct system. 

1. A machine for converting a tubular fabric into a single web of fabric comprising, in combination, means for advancing said tubular fabric, means for separating said tubular fabric into an upper web portion and a lower web portion to provide a space between said web portions, conveyor means for carrying each of said web portions, means for applying an adhesive to a lineal portion of said lower web portion, means portions, both sides of said lower web portion for drying said adhesive portion, means for slitting said lower web portion along said adhesive portion, and means for unfolding said slitted fabric to form a flat web thereof.
 2. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said advancing means include a pair of opposed rotating rollers forming a nip therebetween with said fabric in said nip and advanced thereby.
 3. A machine in accordance with claim 2, in which said separating means include a pair of spaced upper and lower rollers in which said upper web portion travels over said upper roller and said lower web portion travels under said lower roller.
 4. A machine in accordance with claim 3, in which said conveyor means includes an upper conveyor for supporting said upper portion web and a lower conveyor for supporting said lower web portion and in which said upper conveyor includes spaced rotating rollers and spaced continuous belts, said spaced rotating rollers and a large portion of said belts being disposed within said space.
 5. A machine in accordance with claim 4, in which said conveyor means further includes a plurality of sprockets carrying a pair of spaced, continuous chains and in which said chains include upright pins upon which said lower web portion is impinged.
 6. A machine in accordance with claim 5, in which a rotating brush is adapted to press said lower web portion onto said pins.
 7. A machine in accordance with claim 6, in which said adhesive applying means includes a doctor roller for applying adhesive to the underside of said lower web portion and a loosely mounted roller mounted within said space for pressing the upperside of said lower web portion against the doctor roller.
 8. A machine in accordance with claim 7, in which the adhesive drying means includes an upper duct system mounted within said space above said lower web portion and a lower duct system mounted below said lower web portion and in which both of said duct systems are adapted to discharge heated air against both sides of said adhesive portion.
 9. A machine in accordance with claim 8, in which the slitting means includes a rotary knife for cutting said lower web portion along said adhesive portion.
 10. A machine in accordance with claim 9, in which the unfolding means includes an inclined platform upon which said cut fabric unfolds and assumes a flat web as it slides down the platform.
 11. A machine in accordance with claim 10, including a base for said machine, a first framework mounted upon said base, a second framework extending from said first framework into said space between said upper and lower web portions for carrying said separating rollers, said upper conveyor rollers, said rotating brush, said loosely mounted roller, and said upper heating duct system. 